Clothes hanger



Dec. 1o, 196s 1J. @AVES 3,415,432

CLOTHES HANGER Filed Aug. 5l. 1966 INVENTOR.

72am@ JC@ :f6.5 BY

United States Patent O 3,415,432 CLOTHES HANGER Thomas J. Caves, 6952 Town Laue, Dearborn, Mich. 48127 Filed Aug. 31, 1966, Ser. No. 576,413 6 Claims. (Cl. 223-96) ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE A garment hanging device having a pair of clamping members interconnected by a hanging member which is utilized for moving the clamping members between garment engaging and garment releasing positions. Each clamping member comprises spaced plates clampingly receiving free ends of legs depending from the hanging member with cooperating clamping means on the plates for locking the legs between the plates and the plates to each other.

The present invention relates generally to garment hangers, and more particularly to an improved press type garment hanger for frictionally engaging articles of clothmg.

Conventionally, press type garment hangers for pants and skirts have comprised a pair of elongated wooden members for frictionally engaging the garment. The wooden members are generally attached to the lower ends of legs of a wire hanger member having a hook portion for engaging a hanging rod. A slide member is provided on the leg of the wire element to move the adjacent garment engaging surfaces of the wooden members between a garment engaging position and a spread apart position.

=Press type hangers of the above type have several clisadvantages. Firstly, the use of wooden members or elements results in high cost fabrication for the garment engaging members since Wood is not adaptable to high production, low cost stamping techniques, such as are commonly Vused in fabricating metal items. Secondly, the use of Wood and metal in fabrication of commercially available garment hangers presents a rather undesirable appearance. Thirdly, it is diflicult to provide a camber in wood and cambers are desirable in the garment engaging members so that the center portions thereof can be spaced apart a further distance than the end portions to receive the bulky seams normally found in garments, such as skirts or trousers. Also, the provision of the camber permits the frictional force to be provided uniformly from the outer ends of the garment engaging members to the mid-point thereof. Not only is the fabrication cost high when a camber is provided in wood, but also more costly, high strength wood must be used to absorb the bending stresses which occur when the members are pressed together in frictional engagement with a garment to be hung, which will additionally increase the cost of the finished hanger.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved press type garment hanger fabricated substantially entirely of metal.

Another object of the invention is to provide a garment hanger which is free of sharp exposed edges.

A further object is to provide an improved method for securing the hanging portion of a garment hanger to the garment engaging members to produce a nished unit which is free of any sharp edges.

A still further object is to provide an improved method of fabricating a hanging member for a garment hanger which produces a substantially continuously coated metallic member with a non-metallic locking surface.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent when considered in conjunction with the fol- Patented Dec. 10, 1 968 ice lowing specifications and the accompanying drawings wherein,

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation view of the garment hanger of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the garment hanger, shown in the open position; and

FIGURE 3 is a vertical sectional view taken along lines 3-3 of FIGURE 1.

Generally speaking, the improved garment hanger includes a hanging member and a pair of garment engaging members. The garment engaging members each include a first and second cooperating metal plate with one of the plates having a pair of `spaced openings adjacent the mid-point thereof for receiving a pair of spaced legs formed on the garment hanging member. The free end portions of the legs are received 'between adjacent surfaces of the respective plates so as to be completely covered after the members have been assembled. rllhe garment engaging surfaces of the engaging members each include a cushioning material secured thereto for contacting the garment to be hung.

The garment hanging member includes a pair of U- shaped metallic wire members having C-shaped central portions forming the medial part of each U-shapecl member and are pivotally interconnected adjacent the ends of the C-shaped portions. The central element of the C- shaped portion is provided with a non-metallic contacting surface and the second C-shaped portion pivotally carries a hook member which has a locking portion and a flat engaging surface adjacent the locking portion for engaging the contact surface of the first member to move the spaced pairs of legs between an open and closed position by rotating the hook member upon the central element of one of the C-shaped members.

Referring to the drawing, it will `be seen that the clothes or garment hanger 10 comprises a pair of elongated garment engaging members 12 and 14, and a hanging member 16. The garment hanging member 16 includes rst and second U-shaped members 18 and 20` respectively including C-shaped portions 22 and 24 which form the medial part of the U-shaped members 18 and 201. The free ends of the U-'shaped members form -irst and second pairs of spaced legs 26 and 28.

The two U-shaped members 18 and 20 are pivotally interconnected by bending the legs 28 about the wire of the member 18 at the point adjacent the ends of the C- shaped portion of the member 18.

The central element 41 of the C-shaped member 24 is provided with a non-metallic sleeve 40 of an inert plastic material, such as polyethylene, for a purpose to be described later. The central element 43 of the second C- shaped portion 22 pivotally receives a hanging member 42 formed of a susbtantially circular cross section wire which is folded upon itself so that the adjacent legs of the folded wire form a planar surface. The hook member also includes a hook portion 44 adjacent the end where the wire is folded upon itself. The opposite free ends 46 of the wire are bent about the central element of C-shaped member 22 to thereby pivotally secure the hook member to the U-shaped member 18.

The hook member 42 further includes a locking portion 48 formed intermediate the hook portion 44 and the free ends 46 of the legs which are adapted to receive the sleeve 40 to lock the garment engaging members carried by the free ends of the legs 26 and 28 in a closed position as shown in FIURE 3.

The garment engaging members 12 and 14 are identical in construction and each includes first and second metallic cooperating plates 50 and 52. The plate 50 has its outer peripheral edge portion 54 disposed at an angle with respect to the central portion 56 to thereby form a recess S8 intermediate the oppositely disposed edges 54, for a purpose to be described later. One surface of the plate 50 forms the garment engaging surface which is provided with a cushioning material 60, such as a felt, for engaging the garment lto be hung.

The second plates 52 are each provided with a plurality of longitudinally disposed ribs 62 disposed on the inner surface of the plate 52, for a purpose to be described later. Each plate 52 further includes a pair of spaced openings 64 adjacent the mid-point of the respective plate. Each plate 52 also has a peripheral flange 66 directed toward the first plate, for a purpose to be described later.

Each of the spaced legs 26 and 28 is received in one of the openings 64 of the plates 62 and the lower portions of the legs 26 and 28 are offset as at 72 to form a generally planar lower portion 70 adapted to be received between the respective plates 50 and 52. As seen in FIG- URE 3, the planar portions of each of the legs are equal in length to the width of the recess 58 formed in the plates 50.

The center portions of each of the plates 50 and 52 are bent outwardly to form a pair of spaced cambers 80 on each of the garment engaging members which will accommodate the bulky seams on the cuffs of mens trousers or the seams on a skirt.

In assembling the garment hanger of the invention, the garment hanging member is formed with three straight pieces of circular cross-section wires and a non-metallic sleeve. The first wire is bent into a U-shaped configuration and the free ends or legs 26 thereof are each reverse- 1y bent in the plane of the U-shaped configuration at a point 80 spaced intermediate `the ends thereof to form the C-shaped portion 22 and central element 43 which define the medial portion of the U-sshaped member 18.

The U-shaped member is formed by sliding the nonmetallic sleeve 40 on the second wire and bending the wire at the ends of the sleeve 40, at 81 in FIGURE 2, into a generally U-shaped configuration, thus producing the central element 41. The legs 28 are thereafter bent at points 82 intermediate the ends thereof in a plane perpendicular to the U-shaped configuration and about the first U-shaped member 18 adjacent the ends of the C- shaped portion 22. The third wire is bent at the mid-point 83 thereof to form a closed loop 84 at one end with a pair of legs 86 extending therefrom and lying in a common plane. The portion adjacent the closed loop end is thereafter bent to form the hook portion 44 lying in the common plane of the two legs. The free ends of the legs are also bent about a point spaced from the free ends thereof and perpendicular to the common plane of the legs to form the lock portion 48 and the free ends bent about the central element of the C-shaped portion 22 of U-shaped member 18 to pivotally attach the hanging member to the U-shaped member 18.

The legs 26 and 28 of the respective U-shaped members are also bent at a point spaced from the free ends thereof to form an offset portion 72 and a planar portion 70 adjacent the free ends of each of the legs.

After the hanging member has been formed in the manner described above the entire assembly is plated by suitable plating material such as chrome. However, since the non-metallic sleeve 40 is formed of an inert plastic material, the plating or coating material will adhere to only the metal wire portions of the hanging member. The unique manner of assembling and coating or plating the hanger member will result in an aesthetic unit which is functionally superior to hanging members or units heretofore utilized in a press type hanger.

After the hanging member has been assembled and coated in the manner described above, the garment engaging members are secured to the hanging member in a unique manner. Thus, the free ends of the respective pairs of legs 26 and 28 are received in the spaced pairs of openings 64 in each of the plates 52 forming part of the garment engaging members 12 and 14. The respective legs are slid into the opening to a point where the offset portions 72 are received in the respective openings 64 so that the portion 70 of each of the legs has a surface in contacting engagement with the inner edges of the inwardly directed ribs 62 formed on the inner surface of the plate 52.

Thereafter, the second plate 50 is received intermediate the outwardly directed flanges 66 formed on the plate 52 and in the original position shown by the dotted lines of FIGURE 3 so that the planar surfaces of each plate forming the recess 58 are in contacting engagement with a surface of the planar portion 70 of each of the respective legs 26 and 28. The flanges 66 on each of the plates 52 are then deformed inwardly about the angled portion 54 of the plates 52 to the solid line position shown in FIGURE 3 to clamp the plates together and simultaneously lock the planar portion 70 of the respective legs 26 and 28 between the adjacent surfaces of the plates 50 and 52.

As can readily be seen with reference to FIGURE 3, by having the planar portion 70 of the legs 26 and 28 of a length corresponding to the width of the recess 58, these portions will be received in the recess 58 and clamped in locking engagement in the recess when the plates 50 and 52 are clamped together in the manner described above. Furthermore, the inclined inner surfaces of the angled portion 54 adjacent the recess will provide sliding surfaces to guide the portion 70 into the recess and at the same time produce a wedging action of the leg portion 70 between the inclined surfaces when the two plates have been interconnected as shown in FIGURE 3.

The described interconnection will result in a unitary structure wherein the garment engaging members are fixedly secured to the legs of the clamping member and at the same time the entire garment hanger is free of any objectionable sharp, exposed edges. Not only are the free ends of the respective legs 26 and 28 covered by the plates 50 and 52, but the unique manner of assembling the garment hanging or engaging members provides for a positive interlock between the legs and the garment engaging members due to the cooperation between the recesses and the offset portion.

A further advantage of the hanging member of the present invention is that the hook portion is formed of a blunt end and a pair of legs depending therefrom form a planar surface, which extends longtiudinally of the outer surface of the sleeve carried by one of the U-shaped members. This will provide a flat surface adjacent the sleeve portion for sliding engagement with the sleeve portion when the garment engaging members are moved between the garment engaging position and the garment releasing position, thus eliminating any possibility of the hook member from twisting with respect to the remaining portion of the hanging member.

Furthermore, the entire garment hanger, except for the non-metallic sleeve, may be fabricated from a metal with the plates 50 and 52 being pre-plated rather than plating subsequent to the forming of the plates to the desired configuration, since this will greatly reduce the cost of manufacturing a garment hanger. The pre-plated metal plates can readily be stamped to `the configuration outlined above and the unique manner of interconnecting the hanging member with the garment engaging members will eliminate any costly Welding to further reduce the cost and yet result in a very aesthetic unit.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, it will be understood that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and the invention is to be considered limited only by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A garment hanger comprising a pair of elongated garment engaging members each comprising first and second metallic cooperating plates having spaced adjacent surfaces and a pair of spaced openings formed adjacent the midpoint of one of said plates, a pair of U- shaped metallic members including spaced legs with each leg having -a free end received in one of said openings and having opposed surfaces engaging the adjacent surfaces of said plates, means pivotally interconnecting said U- shaped members, a hook member pivotally supported on one of said U-shaped members and engageable with the other of said U-shaped members, said hook member being pivotal between first and second positions to move the garment engaging members between a garment engaging position and a garment releasing position, and cooperating clamping means between each pair of plates for interconnecting said plates and retaining the ends of said legs between said adjacent surfaces.

2. A garment hanger as defined in claim 1, wherein said first plate of each garment engaging member includes means cooperating with the associated adjacent surfaces and defining a recess substantially U-shaped in cross-section and each of said legs includes a planar portion adjacent the free ends thereof which is of a -length corre sponding to the width of said recess.

3. A garment hanger as defined in claim 2, in which said last means for each first plate includes means delining inclined surfaces on opposed edges of said adjacent surface of said first plate to guide the planar portions of said legs into the respective recesses and wedge said portions intermediate the inclined surfaces of the associated recess.

4. A garment hanger as delined in claim 2, wherein the adjacent surfaces of said second plates include means `de ning ribs for contacting the planar portions of said legs.

5. A garment hanger as defined in claim 1, wherein each of said U-shaped members includes a C-shaped portion forming the medial portion of said U-shaped members, said C-shaped portions each having a central element with said hook member pivotally connected to one of said central elements and having means defining a locking portion engageable with the other of said central elements when said garment engaging members are in `garment engaging position.

6. A garment hanger as defined in claim 5, wherein said other central element includes a non-metallic sleeve supported thereon and engageable with said locking portion, said hook member comprising a substantially circular cross-section wire folded intermediate the ends forming a ilat surface disposed longitudinally of said sleeve and adjacent said locking portion for sliding engagement with said sleeve when said garment engaging members are moved from the garment releasing position to said garment engaging position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,151,621 3/1939 Silverman 223-88 2,473,898 6/ 1949 Muntwyler et al 223-96 2,607,517 8/ 1952 Crockett 223-96 2,804,246 8/1957 Brooke 22S-96 3,010,626 11/1961 Crockett 223-96 3,059,824 10/1962 Henry 223-98 XR 3,096,916 7/ 1963 Ronell 223-68 JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner. G. H. KRIZMANICH, Assistant Examiner. 

